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Fairfield County Man Indicted For Mob Assault On Capitol Police Officer Fairfield County Man Indicted For Mob Assault On Capitol Police Officer
Fairfield County Man Indicted For Mob Assault On Capitol Police Officer A Fairfield County man who was charged for allegedly being part of the pro-Trump mob that violently stormed the United States Capitol has been indicted by a grand jury with a second assault charged during the incident. Patrick Edward McCaughey III, age 23, of Ridgefield, has been charged with: Two counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers using a dangerous weapon Two counts of civil disorder Obstruction of an official proceeding and aiding and abetting Disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, with a deadly or dangerous weapon Engaging in p…

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by Kathy Reakes
Politics
Security Tightened, Roads Closed Near State Capitol As Inauguration Day Nears Security Tightened, Roads Closed Near State Capitol As Inauguration Day Nears
Security Tightened, Roads Closed Near State Capitol As Inauguration Day Nears Though “no specific threat” has been identified, security around the New York State Capitol in Albany has been beefed up in the wake of the deadly pro-Trump Capitol Hill riots in Washington D.C. and in advance of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday, Jan. 20. Additional law enforcement patrols began increasing security on Thursday, Jan. 14 at the Capitol, with some nearby roads closed down as a precaution as the state prepares for any potential threats. In advance of the inauguration, State Police troopers have also ramped up security at the state Capitol, some entrances w…

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by Zak Failla
News
Madoff Ponzi Scheme Victims To Get Nearly $500M More In Distributions Madoff Ponzi Scheme Victims To Get Nearly $500M More In Distributions
Madoff Ponzi Scheme Victims To Get Nearly $500M More In Distributions Thousands of Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi Scheme victims will be receiving their portions of the latest distribution of nearly $500 million. Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Audrey Strauss announced that the Madoff Victim Fund will be distributing approximately $488 million to more than 37,000 of his victims involved in the fraud scheme. To date, approximately $2.7 billion has been distributed to Madoff’s victims. Strauss said that this sixth payment will bring the victims’ total recovery to 80.05 percent of their losses. Ultimately, more than $4 billion will be returne…

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by Zak Failla
News
Man Charged In Sex Cult Case At College In Westchester Accused Of Witness Tampering Man Charged In Sex Cult Case At College In Westchester Accused Of Witness Tampering
Man Charged In Sex Cult Case At College In Westchester Accused Of Witness Tampering The father of a former college student in Westchester who allegedly ran a sex cult out of his daughter’s dorm room for nearly a decade is now reportedly manipulating his victims from his prison cell. Lawrence Ray, 60, who is facing charges that include sex trafficking, extortion, and forced labor, has been allegedly attempting to control at least two of his victims from inside his cell, according to a New York Times report. Ray was released from prison in 2010 and moved into the co-ed dorm of his daughter at Sarah Lawrence College near the border of Yonkers and Bronxville. It is alleged th…

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by Zak Failla
News
New Distribution Of More Than $378M Allotted To Madoff Ponzi Scheme Victims New Distribution Of More Than $378M Allotted To Madoff Ponzi Scheme Victims
New Distribution Of More Than $378M Allotted To Madoff Ponzi Scheme Victims Thousands of Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi Scheme victims will be receiving their portions of the fifth distribution of more than $378 million this week. U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman announced that the Madoff Victim Fund will be distributing $378.5 million to more than 26,000 of his victims involved in the fraud scheme. To date, approximately $2.7 billion has been distributed to Madoff’s victims. Berman said that the fifth payment will bring the victims’ total recovery to 73.65 percent of their losses.  Ultimately, more than $4 billion will be returned due to losses suffered in Madoff’s Ponz…

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by Zak Failla
News
Father In Westchester Sex Trafficking Case Pleads Not Guilty To Nine Federal Charges Father In Westchester Sex Trafficking Case Pleads Not Guilty To Nine Federal Charges
Father In Westchester Sex Trafficking Case Pleads Not Guilty To Nine Federal Charges The father of a former college student in Westchester has denied that he ran a sex cult out of his daughter’s dorm room by manipulating students. Lawrence Ray, 60, has pleaded not guilty to nine federal charges that he’s facing for allegedly moving into his daughter’s dorm at Sarah Lawrence College near the border of Bronxville and Yonkers and operating a sex cult. Specifically, Ray is charged with: Conspiracy to commit extortion; Extortion; Sex trafficking; Obtaining forced labor; Forced labor trafficking; Conspiracy to obtain forced labor; Two counts of violating the travel act; Money l…

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by Zak Failla
News
Area Business Owner Failed To Pay Taxes For Years, Lied To IRS, Feds Say Area Business Owner Failed To Pay Taxes For Years, Lied To IRS, Feds Say
Area Business Owner Failed To Pay Taxes For Years, Lied To IRS, Feds Say A Hudson Valley business owner is facing charges for allegedly “knowingly and willfully failing to pay over payroll taxes for his company and for corruptly endeavoring to obstruct and impede the due administration of the internal revenue laws,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced. U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said Dutchess County resident William Grogg, of Millbrook, has worked in the printing and publishing industry in and around Poughkeepsie since the 1980s, owning and managing the financial affairs of multiple companies.  During his three decades working in the industry, it i…

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by Zak Failla
News
Area Man Admits To Defrauding Investors Out Of Nearly $1M Area Man Admits To Defrauding Investors Out Of Nearly $1M
Area Man Admits To Defrauding Investors Out Of Nearly $1M A Hudson Valley man has admitted to defrauding multiple victims out of nearly a million dollars as part of an elaborate scheme, U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman announced. Rockland County resident Jorge Padilla, 33, of Haverstraw, pleaded guilty in district court to defrauding his victims out of more than $900,000 by soliciting investments in a sham financial firm by using misrepresentation and fraudulent documents. Specifically, Padilla pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. When he is sentenced, he will face up to 20 years in prison. Berman said that between September 2014 and April 201…

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by Zak Failla
News
Former Village Board Member In Area Accused Of Trying To Set Up Teen Sex Meeting Former Village Board Member In Area Accused Of Trying To Set Up Teen Sex Meeting
Former Village Board Member In Area Accused Of Trying To Set Up Teen Sex Meeting A former elected official and teacher who ran for mayor in an area village this year is facing charges for allegedly attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced. Charles Hustis III, a former teacher and village board member in Cold Spring, was arrested on Monday, Dec. 16, and charged with one count of attempted enticement of a minor after allegedly using social media to make contact with his teen victim earlier this month, according to U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman. It is alleged that between Sunday, Dec. 8 and Monday, Dec. 16, Hustis, 36,…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Area Tour Company Founder Indicted On Federal Child Porn Trafficking Charges Area Tour Company Founder Indicted On Federal Child Porn Trafficking Charges
Area Tour Company Founder Indicted On Federal Child Porn Trafficking Charges The founder of a nature tour company operating from the Jersey Shore north to Poughkeepsie and southern Connecticut was found with 6,800 photos and 120 videos of child sexual abuse, an indictment returned by a federal grand jury alleges. Federal Homeland Security agents arrested Vaughn Tiedeman, 46, of Living Adventure Tours, in February on distributing child pornography charges. A grand jury in Newark added receiving and possession counts, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said Thursday. Between July 2018 and January 2019, Tiedeman, of West Milford, “distributed at least 50 videos a…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Westchester Business Operator Admits To Fraudulent Overbilling Scheme Westchester Business Operator Admits To Fraudulent Overbilling Scheme
Westchester Business Operator Admits To Fraudulent Overbilling Scheme The owner and operator of a Westchester waste disposal business admitted to fraudulently overfilling hundreds of thousands of dollars to clients. Harrison resident Ralph Mancini, 57, who operated County Waste Management, pleaded guilty to mail fraud, admitting as part of his plea that he had defrauded multiple commercial customers by overbilling them for the waste collected and dumped on their behalf. U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said that from 2008 through 2016, Mancini overbilled a total of 17 commercial customers, including educational institutions, department stores, grocery stores, an…

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by Zak Failla
News
Multi-State Investigation Initiated In Westchester Nets 27 Arrests In No-Fault Insurance Scam Multi-State Investigation Initiated In Westchester Nets 27 Arrests In No-Fault Insurance Scam
Multi-State Investigation Initiated In Westchester Nets 27 Arrests In No-Fault Insurance Scam Twenty-seven people, including members of law enforcement, were arrested for their roles in a multimillion-dollar scheme to commit bribery and a no-fault insurance scam. The multi-state jurisdictional investigation that originated in Westchester County led to the arrests, 23 of whom were taken into custody in New York and New Jersey on Thursday, Nov. 7, with other suspects arrested in North Carolina, and Florida. Among those arrested were five 911 operators and an NYPD police officer. “Corruption, in all forms, is intolerable within the NYPD and we continue to work with our law enforcemen…

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by Zak Failla